Coach before Draft

The Pistons need to hire their new coach before the NBA draft! Sounds rather obvious but depending on who they hire should go a long way to determine what they do in the upcoming draft.

As things currently stand it looks like the Pistons will get either Shaw, McMillian or Cheeks. Now interestingly enough all 3 are former NBA point guards.

Which brings me to the NBA draft; DO NOT draft another PG!!

Lets assume that we do get one of the above 3 coaches, the aim should be to make Brandon Knight the Pistons PG. And who better to show BK how to run a team than a former player who actually played that position?

Let me explain why I think this is important. I am not someone who believes that a teams PG needs to be a super creative player. Not everyone needs to play like Chris Paul, Steve Nash or Rajon Rondo and weave in and out of the defense.

All you need to be able to do is run the "system". The best example there is of a player who simply played the "system" is John Stockton. He ran the simplest play in basketball but he ran it to absolute perfection. The Pick and Roll!

Now I am not here to say that Brandon Knight is or needs to be John Stockton but what I am saying is that all he needs to learn is a "system" in order to be a good point guard. And as I said about I think a former NBA point guard as a coach would be the perfect person to teach him.

I don't even think it has to be any particular system. Be it the Pick and Roll, Princeton, High - Low, Triangle, Flex or anything else. It just has to be done properly.

Brandon doesn't have to have great vision or perfect passing skills to be effective, all he needs to be taught how to do is make the "correct" and often "simplest" play. If a play is run properly it will result in an open shot or at least will force the defense to make a decision and open up a simple play.

Just look at the Spurs. As Pop always says "we don't want to be fast, we just want to be perfect" and Tony Parker plays exactly like that. Run a play over and over until the defense makes a mistake and then bam.

It is all about the "system" and if you can run it properly. It isn't about blowing past your opposition or crossing them over for a highlight. If someone can teach Brandon a "system" to run we have no need to go and get another PG.

There are plenty of other holes on this Detroit squad which the draft should be used to fill but PG in my opinion is not one of them.

The draft isn't until June 27, so I would think a new coach would be hired before then.

If the Pistons plan is to not draft a PG, then I think Calderon should be re-signed to help mentor Knight. Brandon can play some SG, as well as back up Calderon at the PG. Calderon fits the mold perfectly as far as what you are looking for in a PG (make the "correct" and often "simplest" play).

If BK improves enough to be a decent starter that would be great but I wouldn't plan for that when adding new pieces to this team. That's not far from the old "we can't trade for [insert all-star caliber ball dominant guard] because he doesn't fit with Rodney Stuckey". I really like the improvements on the defensive side from BK though and I think he can be a valuable 6th man if he doesn't work out as a starter.

That was toward the end of the year. At the beginning of the year, Tay was taking that shot.

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Actually, Tay was the one holding the ball for the first 21 seconds of the shot clock before passing the ball to Maxiel standing out at the top of the key (or BK on his way back down the floor peparing to play some D).